Much has changed in the last month as Los Angeles and California officially entered Stage II of the COVID-19 response. I am especially pleased that the city and county, following the guidance of state and local public health officials, have allowed retailers to reopen for in-person shopping with the proper safety measures. This is a critical next step to reopening our economy and moving from crisis to recovery.

However, as we continue down the path to recovery, we need to remain vigilant and carefully monitor data, including rates of infection, death, and hospital admission. Remember, we aren’t going back to life as usual - we are entering a new reality - living with COVID-19 in our midst. And things will never get back to normal until we have a safe and effective vaccine for this virus, which is currently the number one cause of death in L.A. County.

Thank you all for your sacrifice and continued adherence to safety measures like wearing masks and practicing social distancing. There are many in our community, including people in our own families, who are at higher risk because they are elderly or immunocompromised. Let’s continue to do our part to help keep them, and ourselves, safe.

Emergency Rental Assistance Subsidy Program

I recently introduced a motion to allocate $100,000 from our district’s redevelopment funds to assist qualified low-income renters in CD12 by subsidizing their rent and making payments directly to landlords so we can slow the economic hemorrhaging and begin the path to economic recovery. There are many struggling because of this pandemic, and our policy solutions should address the needs of all segments of our society, and not benefit some to the exclusion of others. To learn more about the Emergency Rental Assistance Subsidy Program, contact the Housing+Community Investment Department at 866-557-7368 or visit hcidla.lacity.org. Applications are not yet available, but they will be soon.

City Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21

The City Council discussed the Mayor’s proposed budget and the economic challenges we face due to COVID-19. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on revenues, but I am committed to ensuring that public safety and other core city services that protect the health and safety of our residents are prioritized. The Mayor’s budget also enforces a strict hiring freeze and implements furloughs across most non-public safety departments to help balance the city’s budget.